Here are the Top Movies You Never Watched But Should, continued.

5. ‘Meet Joe Black’ (1998)

‘Meet Joe Black’ is a fantasy drama inspired by ‘Death Takes a Holiday’ (1934) about Death (Brad Pitt) inhabiting the body of a handsome man and shadowing a wealthy media mogul Bill Parish (Anthony Hopkins). Bill’s sixty-fifth birthday is coming up and he was scheduled to die, but Death, who is given the name Joe Black to blend in with other people, promises to let him live a few more days if he shows him what life is like as a human being. During his journey, Joe falls in love with Bill’s lovely youngest daughter Susan (Claire Forlani) and she falls in love with him, causing bad blood between Joe and Bill and complicating all of their lives even further.

The film showcases one of Brad Pitt’s best performances as Joe, struggles with understanding the simplest emotions and later the more complex ones, especially love. The love story sets up a beautiful, heartbreaking examination of each character and how they are affected by Joe’s sudden intervention in their lives, though only Bill knows his true identity. The phenomenal supporting cast populates the film with a great spread of characters and everything is set to a sweet yet haunting soundtrack.

4. ‘Batman: Mask of the Phantasm’ (1993)

‘Batman: Mask of the Phantasm’ is an animated film born from the award-winning cartoon ‘Batman: The Animated Series.’ It tells the tale of a mysterious entity called the Phantasm who appears in Gotham City and starts killing several crime bosses. Batman (Kevin Conroy), who is currently under fire from the new district attorney, starts investigating the murders and bumps into his first love, Andrea Beaumont (Dana Delany).

The two become entangled once again as he suspects her father is responsible for the murders. Things become even more complicated when one of the crime bosses who fears he is next to be killed hires the Joker to kill the Phantasm, creating even more danger for the Dark Knight and the city he protects.

‘Mask of the Phantasm’ is critically acclaimed and beloved by fans of Batman, but the general public has little exposure to the animated adventures of the Caped Crusader. While Christopher Nolan’s adaptation of the character is nothing short of genius, ‘Mask of the Phantasm’ deserves just as much praise for handling Bruce Wayne with such care. The film, like the cartoon series, deals with many mature subjects that appeal to adults while still being entertaining enough for younger audiences. Furthermore, it is beautifully animated and features a powerful soundtrack.

3. ‘Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas’ (2003)

‘Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas’ is an animated adventure film about a pirate, Sinbad (Brad Pitt) who wants to steal the Book of Peace, a magical book that wields untold power, a noble prince of Syracuse, Proteus (Joseph Fiennes), who wants to protect it, Proteus’ beautiful fiancée, Marina (Catherine Zeta Jones), and the evil goddess Eris, who also wants to steal the book to cause chaos among the kingdom.

Unfortunately, the film came out right around the time when most animated films were switching to 3D rather than the traditional 2D and so it did not perform well, but the box office does nothing to reflect the quality of the film.

Its strength comes from the talented voice work of Brad Pitt, Catherine Zeta Jones, and Joseph Fiennes, the thrilling adventures the characters undertake, and the fantastic script that switches from hilarious to heartwarming with relative ease. Fans of animated film ‘The Road to El Dorado’ (2000) will find immediate kinship with the movie as it has a similar tone and attention to detail with its animation and well-rounded characters.

2. ‘Kiss Kiss Bang Bang’ (2005)

‘Kiss Kiss Bang Bang’ is a crime noir comedy about small time crook Harry Lockhart (Robert Downey Jr) who accidentally stumbles into a role as an actor and is flown off to Hollywood to consult with Perry van Shrike, aka “Gay Perry” (Val Kilmer), a snarky private investigator. While in LA, Harry bumps into his high school crush, Harmony Lane (Michelle Monaghan), whose sister is murdered and she asks for his help to solve the case. Harry agrees and the three become embroiled in two violent murder cases that are more related than they think.

The film is a dark comedy that pays tribute to the classic crime noir stereotypes but remains self-aware throughout, featuring wicked humor from Downey Jr. and Kilmer, as well as a fast paced, action heavy plot that keeps the audience guessing. The chemistry between Downey Jr. and Kilmer is its true selling point and the script is nothing short of brilliant.

1. ‘Lucky Number Slevin’ (2006)

‘Lucky Number Slevin’ is an action thriller about a down-on-his-luck guy named Slevin Kelevra (Josh Hartnett) who goes to visit his friend Nick Fisher and is mistaken for him by two warring crime bosses, The Boss (Morgan Freeman), and The Rabbi (Ben Kingsley). He is recruited by The Boss to kill The Rabbi’s son and then forced to come up with a huge amount of money by the Rabbi. The Boss and the Rabbi also hire an assassin named Mr. Goodkat (Bruce Willis) who suggested forcing Nick Fisher, whom they mistake Slevin for, to take each other out. Meanwhile, Slevin bumps into Nick’s sweet neighbor, Lindsey (Lucy Liu), and the two slowly fall for each other while Slevin tries to figure out how to stay alive in the middle of all the chaos.

‘Slevin’ is simply the kind of film that gets everything right. The casting, the action, the humor, the cinematography, and the dialogue are all sublime, perfect, and unforgettable. There is something here for everyone—comedy, action, adventure, mystery, and a truly sweet love story. Furthermore, its ending is by far one of the most amazing, unpredictable ways to finish a film in years.

Do yourself a favor: check these films out. You won’t regret it.

The article Ten Movies You Never Watched But Should (Part 2) appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.

With movies so plentiful these days, it is easy for small gems to slip between the cracks at the box office. To remedy that, we have prepared a list of ten niche films that you should see. Rev up your Netflix queues and let’s dive right in.

10. ‘ ‘Snatch’ is a crime action comedy about a group of characters all related to a stolen 86-carat diamond. The cast of characters includes two underground boxing managers, a four-fingered thief with a gambling problem, a mob boss who feeds his enemies to pigs, a Gypsy bare knuckle boxing champion, a New York crime boss, a borderline immortal bounty hunter, an Uzbekistan assassin, and three idiotic small time crooks. Sound interesting? If that didn’t pull you in, the casting will. The film employs Jason Statham, Vinnie Jones, Brad Pitt, Benicio del Toro, Dennis Farina, Stephen Graham, Jason Flemyng, and Alan Ford.

The brilliance of the film stems from its multiple plot threads that are engaging, funny, brutal, and action-packed, and the way they tie into each other is nothing short of genius. Many Guy Ritchie fans consider this to be his Magnum Opus, but the film is largely unknown due to it being one of his earlier works. Its sharp dialogue, gritty environments, and diverse characters will easily pull you into the story and leave you breathless by the end of it.

9. ‘Stick It’ (2006)

‘Stick It’ is an American teen comedy about Haley Graham (Missy Peregym), a disgruntled former gymnast champion who is unceremoniously thrown back into the world of gymnastics after a stint with the law. She is universally hated by all other gymnast for walking out on the Worlds’ competition years earlier and thus causing the team to be disqualified. However, as she gets back in shape and softens up around her fellow gymnasts, she realizes that she may be able to succeed in changing the harsh rules and regulations associated with the gymnastics world for the better.

The film is on par with teen classics such as ‘Mean Girls’ (2004) and ’10 Things I Hate About You’ (1999) because of its realistic characters, witty dialogue, and unforgiving irreverence. Unfortunately, it was not advertised well when it came out and most people thought it was aimed at too narrow a demographic. In reality, the film does not have a learning curve and can be enjoyed by anyone who has quick wits and likes a sarcastic female lead.

8. ‘Waitress’ (2007)

‘Waitress’ is a dramedy about a “pie baking genius” named Jenna (Keri Russell) who is stuck in a small town diner and gets knocked up by her abusive man-child of a husband. Jenna does not want to be a mother but she reluctantly keeps the baby out of motherly duty. This leads her to Dr. Jim Pomatter (Nathan Fillion), her new gynecologist, and the two enter a steamy affair that makes her slowly regain her zest for life and eventually grow to care for her baby.

The film takes care in examining how adultery, while morally wrong, can often have interesting side effects on the downtrodden. It also deconstructs the typical thoughts of how motherhood is supposed to be a beautiful thing when in reality there are many women who feel alone, victimized, and trapped by their unwanted children. The careful writing, excellent casting, and beautiful cinematography create a unique experience with plenty of laughs, tears, and surprises at every turn.

7. ‘I Think I Love My Wife’ (2006)

‘I Think I Love My Wife’ is a comedy about the pitfalls of marriage, single life, and sex in one man’s life. Richard Cooper (Chris Rock) is married with two children but his wife (Gina Torres) suddenly stops having sex with him and refuses to explain why. In the midst of struggling with this issue, one of Richard’s old friends, Nikki True (Kerry Washington), saunters back into his life and starts a flirtatious friendship with him. He begins grappling with the secret attraction shared between them and starts down the slippery slope towards adultery.

The movie makes an uncanny portrayal of a husband trying his best to do right when he is given every opportunity to do wrong by his wife. Chris Rock is known for his stand up material addressing the boring routines in a long marriage and he uses his knowledge to its best effect in the dialogue and the realistic problems that occur between married men and their single women friends. While it keeps a comedic tone throughout, there are some excellent dramatic moments caused by the sexual tension and Richard’s desire to remain devoted to his difficult but loving wife.

6. ‘Idlewild’ (2006)

‘Idlewild’ is a musical drama about a small town called Idlewild in Georgia, 1935. It tells the tale of a repressed musician, Percival Jenkins (Andre Benjamin), his popular but irresponsible best friend Rooster (Antwan Patton), a dangerous crime boss who oversees their club named Trumpy (Terrence Howard), and a beautiful singer, Angel Davenport (Paula Patton), who starts singing at the club and changes their lives. Angel and Percy fall in love while Rooster gets in trouble with Trumpy as he tries to extort the club due to a failed deal between he and the club’s former owner, whom he murdered.

The biggest attraction advertised for this movie was the music, which features songs from Outkast’s albums ‘The Love Below’ and ‘Speakerboxxx’, but the true brilliance of the film comes from the stand out performances of Andre 3000 and Paula Patton. The love story is built up carefully and has a classic feel to it while keeping a tragic undertone.

Furthermore, the supporting cast features plenty of familiar faces like Ben Vereen, Ving Rhames, Faizon Love, Paula Jai Parker, Macy Gray, and Cicely Tyson. Fans of Outkast’s music will be thrilled but fans of musicals in general will also be enraptured in the vibrant dance sequences and the powerful love story.

Stay tuned for Part 2!

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